[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 164 (Sunday, December 18, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H12182-H12183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  AUTHORIZING TRANSFER OF ITEMS IN WAR RESERVES STOCKPILE FOR ALLIES, 
                                 KOREA

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the Senate bill (S. 1988) to authorize the transfer of items in the War 
Reserves Stockpile for Allies, Korea.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                S. 1988

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION. 1. WAR RESERVES STOCKPILE FOR ALLIES, KOREA.

       (a) Authority To Transfer Items in Stockpile.--
       (1) In general.--Notwithstanding section 514 of the Foreign 
     Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321h), the President is 
     authorized to transfer to the Republic of Korea, on such 
     conditions as the President may determine, any or all of the 
     items described in paragraph (2).
       (2) Covered items.--The items referred to in paragraph (1) 
     are munitions, equipment, and materiel such as tanks, trucks, 
     artillery, mortars, general purpose bombs, repair parts, 
     barrier material, and ancillary equipment if such items are--
       (A) obsolete or surplus items;
       (B) in the inventory of the Department of Defense;
       (C) intended for use as reserve stocks for the Republic of 
     Korea; and
       (D) as of the date of the enactment of this Act, located in 
     a stockpile in the Republic of Korea or Japan.

[[Page H12183]]

       (3) Valuation of concessions.--The value of concessions 
     negotiated pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be at least equal 
     to the fair market value of the items transferred, less any 
     savings (which may not exceed the fair market value of the 
     items transferred) accruing to the Department of Defense from 
     an avoidance of the cost of removal of such items from the 
     Republic of Korea or of the disposal of such items. The 
     concessions may include cash compensation, services, waiver 
     of charges otherwise payable by the United States (such as 
     charges for demolition of United States-owned or United 
     States-intended munitions), and other items of value.
       (4) Termination.--No transfer may be made under the 
     authority of this subsection after the date that is three 
     years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (b) Certification Regarding Materiel in Stockpile.--Not 
     later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary of Defense shall certify to the 
     appropriate committees of Congress whether or not the 
     ammunition, equipment, and materiel in the War Reserves 
     Stockpile for Allies, Korea that are available for transfer 
     to the Republic of Korea is of any utility to the United 
     States for any of the following:
       (1) Counterterrorism operations.
       (2) Contingency operations.
       (3) Training.
       (4) Stockpile, pre-positioning, or war reserve 
     requirements.
       (c) Termination of Stockpile.--
       (1) In general.--At the conclusion of the transfer to the 
     Republic of Korea under subsection (a) of items in the War 
     Reserves Stockpile for Allies, Korea pursuant to that 
     subsection, the War Reserves Stockpile for Allies, Korea 
     program shall be terminated.
       (2) Disposition of remaining items.--Any items remaining in 
     the War Reserves Stockpile for Allies, Korea as of the 
     termination of the War Reserves Stockpile for Allies, Korea 
     program under paragraph (1) shall be removed, disposed of, or 
     both by the Department of Defense.
       (d) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committees on Armed Services, Appropriations, and 
     Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committees on Armed Services, Appropriations, and 
     International Relations of the House of Representatives.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.

                              {time}  1430


                             General Leave

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on the Senate bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Latham). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Senate bill 1988, a bill to 
authorize the transfer of items in the War Reserve Stockpile for 
Allies, Korea.
  Section 514 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 provides no U.S. 
Department of Defense articles which have been set aside for future use 
by any foreign country may be made available for that country's use, 
unless the transfer is authorized under that act, the Arms Control 
Export Act, or subsequent corresponding legislation. Consistent with 
that provision of law, Senate bill 1988 would authorize the President 
to transfer to the Republic of Korea certain obsolete or surplus U.S. 
Department of Defense munitions, equipment, and other materiel.
  The prepositioned stocks established by the U.S. Department of 
Defense in Korea and Japan in 1973 in order to supplement Korea's 
military sustainment now constitutes an aging stockpile. Senate bill 
1988 would permit the Department of Defense to seek concessions, such 
as fair market value, from the Republic of Korea in exchange for the 
transfer of these stocks to Korea's inventory. This approach would be 
consistent with the ongoing realignment of the United States Armed 
Forces in Korea and the objective of increased Korean self-sufficiency. 
It would also reduce the costs to the United States, otherwise 
necessitated by transporting this materiel back to the United States 
for disposal and demilitarization.
  Senate bill 1988's provisions are nearly identical to those contained 
in section 752 of House Resolution 2601, the Foreign Relations 
Authorization Act for the Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007. H.R. 2601 passed 
the House on July 20 by a recorded vote of 351-78. The Senate has not 
yet completed floor consideration of a Foreign Relations Authorization 
Act. It passed a stand-alone bill, Senate bill 1988, on November 9, 
2005, authorizing the transfer of these stocks to the Republic of 
Korea. Since timely action was necessary to assure the proper 
management and the disposition of reserved stocks located in that 
region, this limited purpose bill is before us today. I hope my 
colleagues will join me in supporting this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure, and I 
yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill will grant important authorities to the United 
States military related to stockpiles in South Korea. In particular, it 
will allow the United States to sell or transfer equipment to the South 
Korean military for use or disposal.
  This will ensure that the United States is not forced to transport 
unnecessary or obsolete military equipment back to the continental 
United States at a considerable cost.
  The authority contained in this legislation must be renewed from time 
to time, and that time has, once again, come. The authority remains an 
important tool in our defense strategy and should be renewed.
  This legislation is a good government bill, Mr. Speaker, and I urge 
all of my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 1988.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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